


Lupine Melodies

by Lonliest_muffin



Series: Weird AUs/Plot Bunnies??? [5]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, BAMF Arcobaleno (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), BAMF Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Bad Ending, Blood Drinking, Blood and Violence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, No Arcobaleno Curse (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Out of Character Hibari Kyouya, Out of Character Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Pack Family, Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)-centric, Team as Family, Wolf Instincts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonliest_muffin/pseuds/Lonliest_muffin
Summary: Tonight, is another, pleasant night. The crescent moon's hung high in the sky and just a few slivers of cloud drift by, occasionally covering a part of the breathtaking view. Such a night ought to be spend in pleasant company.It's a good thing a certain Werewolf ended up feeling frisky tonight, otherwise, Skull might've had to wander the woods by his lonesome.
Relationships: Arcobaleno & Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Hibari Kyouya & Skull, Reborn/Skull (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)
Series: Weird AUs/Plot Bunnies??? [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996678
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	Lupine Melodies

**Author's Note:**

> This wouldn't leave my mind until i wrote it in one sitting, now please enjoy!
> 
> This is written on mobile, not beta read and it's about midnight when I post this darling, so imma check through for spelling mistakes when I've recharged, please and thank you!

It's a wonderful night.  
And Skull feels the pull of the full moon, as though it's a physical thing under his skin. So he stumbles his way down the hall, creeping quietly down the stairway and reaching for the door handle. Before he even makes contact with it, a chill rushes up his spine and he shivers, standing straight and still.

Even just like this, probably meters apart, he can feel those abysmal eyes, burrowing into his neck. Pinning him in place, against his will and better judgment. The baritone voice is warm, but that warmth is a lie. There is no physical heat in an undead creature. "Where do you think you are going, Lackey?"

The iron grip over his body loosens just slightly and Skull turns around, standing as tall as he can manage. Just so he doesn't quite crack his neck when he looks up at his Master. Reborn towers over him nevertheless, but he stands strong. "I'm... Thirsty! Yeah... Thirsty.... I wanted to go... Hunt?"

Reborn hisses lowly under his breath and it's a half threat. Skull braces for an impact, but it never comes. Instead, a low chuckle rumbles out of the World's Greatest Vampire a moment later. "You've finally got a craving for blood, have you? I'll indulge you this once."

And the iron grip over Skull disappears in it's entirety, almost letting him drop flat to the floor. Reborn disappears with a half pleased hum, giving him a moment, before forcing him out the door with a powerful gust of wind. He sounds almost jovial. "Have fun, Lackey."

Skull ends up on his ass afterall, nearly splitting his head open on the stone pathway, hissing lowly. Tears sting his eyes and he nearly growls, but he thinks better of it, investing that energy instead, in chasing out into the darkness.  
It's a full moon. And a gorgeous one too. He can never hope to count all the stars decorating the night sky today. Even in his infinite lifetime...

Yes, Skull is a vampire.  
The lowest ranking in the household of the World's Greatest Vampires. He'd just recently been turned, so he hasn't quite found his place in the household yet. Although... the older vampires seem to have confined him to the role of servant already...

But that doesn't matter tonight! Because the moon is gorgeous and it's a perfect night to go for a walk. And that's just what he'll do! Go for a walk!

Even if... There's the scent of... Fresh blood on this breeze...

.....

He's... Been starving. The others have denied him blood from the kills they'd brought home. To encourage him to go hunt for himself. So far, he'd sustained himself on a diet of fruits. And it's draining. He's constantly tired, but... It's scary. Hunting something can so easily turn into being hunted afterall... 

The mere thought of once again embarking on a quest to end a life... It's frightening... It's what got him in this situation in the first place.  
He'd been a naive human. And an even more naive Hunter. Slaying the World's Greatest Vampire seemed like the simplest way to fame. It's just that... he'd vastly underestimated Reborn's strength. The ancient vampire shook off holy water as if it were light spring rain. And then...

Skull has to shake himself, just to pull out of the dark thought of fangs and claws and being ripped to shreds from the inside out...  
Ah, back on topic! Where's... This scent coming from anyways? It's... Very strong over here... 

Before Skull knew it, he'd stumbled onto a clearing, blinking faintly at the herd of rabbits running for their life. Their burrows are on the other end of the clearing. It seems he'd disturbed them during their feeding... - 

That's when he locks eyes with a wolf, crouched a distance away, who'd apparently been on the prowl for these same rabbits.  
The animals eyes are... Fascinating. A bright, grey blue colour, undeniably gorgeous and... Intelligent. There is an expressiveness in this wolf's eyes that Skull had never seen in any animal before now. 

In this moment, the wolf almost seems... Annoyed with him. Before Skull can think further on that though, a noise catches his attention. One of the rabbits squeaked when it landed badly on it's wounded frontleg. The stench of blood is suddenly overpowering and he can almost feel its racing heart, as though it's in his own chest. 

For a second, everything narrows down to this. The racing heartbeat, the rapid breaths, the flowing redness... And something... Soft?  
Skull had pounced for the rabbit, driven by hunger and instinct and he'd promptly.... Collided with the wolf, who'd also pounced. 

They land on top of the rabbit, in a tangle of limps, ending the little creatures life swiftly. All other rabbits have long since found safety in their burrows.  
This hunt? Is over. 

Skull shoves the wolf off of himself, whining loudly. "What the fuck, you stupid Puppy!?" 

Much to his shock, the Wolf answers, in a very human voice. "That's my question, you idiotic Bloodsucker!" 

Skull looks up immediately, but what's sitting there isn't a disgruntled wolf, instead he finds a very disgruntled, frowning, teenage boy. The boy is wearing a simple, white shirt and partially torn trousers. He has ruffled, black hair, pale skin and beautiful grey blue eyes...  
Wait. No, those are the wolf's eyes... And.... This kid doesn't smell very human. 

Skull just... Apparently, there's werewolves in these woods. He didn't know that. God, did he just call a werewolf _Puppy_?! How insensitive can one person be?!  
Skull flusters immediately, as much as a vampire is able to anyway, bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry--it's just- ah...." 

He was interrupted by the growling of his stomach, which made him curl up a little, with an embarrassed laugh. "S-sorry-I just-" 

He's cut off again, by the Wolf boy this time. Because the Werewolf swiftly tears the rabbit into two, holding one of the massacred halves out to him. What the fuck?  
At Skull's silent, confused stare, the Wolf frowns faintly. "Shared kill, shared bounty, Bloodsucker."

It's the kindest thing anyone has done for him in a while. And the stench of blood is rather overpowering from this close. Reborn will kill him for this later, but... He has nothing to lose.  
So Skull accepts the offered half, sinking his fangs into it hesitantly.

It's instant relief. He hadn't realized just how starved he was until the blood hit his tongue. So much so, tears sting his eyes once again.  
It's pathetic, but... His opposite doesn't call him out on his tears, or his quiet whimpering.  
Im fact, the blue eyed Werewolf is rather consumed in tearing into his own meal with fervor. He makes these little, adorable pleased sounds while he eats, but otherwise... He's rather well behaved.

The Werwolf isn't even making a big mess of anything!  
It's... Very unlike the dirty, savage animals Reborn had described Werwolves as... Then again, when was Reborn ever realistic in anything?  
Skull wipes his tears on his sleeve, sniffling a bit and offering the Werewolf a bright smile, in thanks. 

The Wolf gives him a bit of a strange look, something like curiosity and caution rolled into one. And curiosity was slowly winning.  
In both of them. Skull speaks into the awkward silence first. "Soooo.... You hunt here often?" 

The Werewolf blinks rapidly, wiping some blood from his lips with his wrist, before liking that mess off of his own skin. "I mean... Yeah. My pack's moving through here. Gotta hunt somewhere." 

Skull finds himself blushing again, nodding quietly, trying to gather his courage. In the end, he didn't have to, the Wolf offers exactly what he needs. "You seem like a bloody newbie to hunting. Want to join me in a few hunts?" 

Skull nods eagerly, almost stumbling over his words, but he's just... Happy not to hunt on his own yet, honestly. "I'd love that! My... Masters aren't very good... Teachers." 

Something like an aborted chuckle leaves the Wolf and he rolls his eyes. "I totally couldn't tell. What with the fact that half your meal is in your lap." 

Skull flinches immediately, lifting the rabbit half up, but it's already too late. The blood had soaked through his pants and he pulls a face promptly. "Ew..." 

Now, the Werewolf does chuckle, before perking up and looking out into the forest. In the silence, even Skull picks up on the faint howling. "Ah... That's my cue to go, Bloodsucker." 

Skull purses his lips at the somewhat derogatory nickname, standing up and huffing down at the wolf boy. "Fine then, Puppy. Um..." 

The Werewolf stands up too and Skull doesn't want to part ways on bad terms. He really would like to learn the ropes from just about anyone that isn't his Masters.  
Luckily, this wolf happens to be thick skinned. He throws Skull a smirk in response to the teasing. "I'll be around. Just follow the scent of blood or decay. It's easiest to find me where there's injured, or sickly animals." 

Skull mutely mods, blushing faintly. From one moment to the next, the handsome teenager already disappeared. He catches a glimpse of the pale brown fur coat disappearing between the trees, but... That's all.

Huh. Apparently, Skull's made friends with a Werewolf.

Ah... Reborn's going to kill him for this...

~~A few weeks pass~~

Reborn hadn't really been mad. Mostly because Skull mentioned nothing of the Werewolf. But for ruining his trousers, he'd been tasked with cleaning up the pigsty. Which is really just a blessing in disguise. It gives him nightly opportunities to sneak away unseen.

And it just so happens that today, is another, pleasant night. The crescent moon's hung high in the sky and just a few slivers of cloud drift by, occasionally covering a part of the breathtaking view. Such a night ought to be spend in pleasant company. 

It's a good thing the Werewolves ended up feeling frisky tonight, otherwise, Skull might've had to wander the woods by his lonesome. 

As things stand, Skull finds himself tackled by his enthusiastic friend. It's their usual greeting and he ends up flat on the floor. The young Werwolf looks very much satisfied, sitting on his waist and looking down at him with a little smirk. "Out for a walk, Bloodsucker?" 

Skull rolls his eyes, shooing the teenager off of himself and sitting upright easily. Sure, his friend is a little rough with him, but that's nothing compared to the way other people treat him. His Wolf is just being playful, he isn't outright cruel. "Same as you, Puppy." 

'Puppy' shakes himself off a bit, standing up and offering him a hand. There is a hint of claw on him already. Christ, this boy just has no chill, does he? "Well, I'm out to hunt. Wanna join me?" 

Skull accepts the help, standing up easily and throwing his friend a lopsided grin. "Hell yeah. What are we hunting? Anything particular?" 

Puppy is not at all subtle. The moment his tail pops up, it is _going_. Not to mention how very focused that boy is. Ears perked up and forward. He's very easy to read, honestly. "There is a sickly doe in a herd near here. I was on my way there. Come on." 

And he's already going on his way, the typical lupine energy pulling Skull right along. It's such a refreshing change from the stoic, stern bullshit he has to live with otherwise.  
The unashamed playfulness of it pulls him right along and he overtakes the Werewolf within seconds. "Race you!" 

Instantly, 'Puppy' takes the challenge and begins to run, jumping over shrubbery and roots in their path, quickly reaching outstanding top speeds. Skull can barely keep up, he actually has to turn into a bat a few times to dodge all the branches his friend simply ignores.  
Within minutes, they've reached the herd. Just barely within the edge of the forest, Wolf boy pulls to a stumbling stop, his breath heavy from the exertion, but his smile blinding.

Giving into his instincts is something he doesn't allow himself with just anyone. In this case, Skull is special. He lands lightly beside his friend, looking ahead at the herd and pursing his lips slightly. "Something smells rotten..." 

He gets a light nod in ways of a reply. 'Puppy' gestures over at a lonely doe that is stumbling after her friends. "She's got a wound, I think. It's gotten infected." 

Skull sighs softly, frowning a little. "It feels like a lot of animals have gotten injured lately... And it's always bloody wounds, too..." 

The Werwolf shrugs faintly, really not much interested in their prey's life. Instead, he settles down, into prime pouncing position and Skull follows suit as quickly and gracefully as he can. 'Puppy' lowers his voice to a quiet hush, focused firmly on their prey. "She's injured, but watch out for those hind legs. Even a well placed kick won't kill the likes of you, but it will hurt." 

Skull nods firmly, focusing as best he can on the racing heartbeat ahead. It's... Hypnotic almost. Then, 'Puppy' nudges into him, pulling him out of that trance and back into reality. "Wanna try going for the killing strike today?" 

The killing strike. The main attack. The thing that'd rip the arteries out of their prey.  
It'd be the first time Skull would have that honor and he feels a little unsure about it. "I-I don't know... What if I mess it up..." 

Wolf boy rolls his eyes, giving him a little smirk that should have no right being that reassuring! "That's what I'm here for. As backup if you mess up." 

It's an instant weight of his shoulders and Skull swallows thickly. The doe's blood is rushing fast to combat the infection, but it's throat is out in the open. Maybe... He can do this... "A... Alright... I'll do my best." 

'Puppy' settles down further, leaving him the choice of timing their attack. Leaving the decision in his hands. Skull doesn't plan to disappoint his only friend. 

He waits, for the wind to change directions, so they're even better hidden from their prey's senses. Then, he waits until the doe is a good distance away from her herd.  
Lastly, he shifts forward, just to make sure he has a clear path to go for the kill. Then, it's a pure, unadulterated rush of adrenaline. 

Skull rushes out of hiding, followed closely by his Wolf friend, but the backup isn't needed. Skull manages to land the killing strike, his claws tearing through the deer's throat with relative ease.  
The herd breaks up in a panic, stampeding away promptly, leaving Skull and his Wolf friend to stand over tonight's kill. 

There is blood dripping down his hand, a fresh, twitching carcass in front of him and an explosion of adrenaline in his chest. Skull can't help the little cheer of joy that leaves him.  
It's fortunate that 'Puppy' doesn't give a single fuck about his weirdness. Hell, his friend even goes out of his way to _applaud_ him for his first kill! 

Skull quickly turns bashful under the positive attention, rubbing the back of his neck with his clean hand and giggling softly. He even composes himself enough to give his friend a theatrical bow. "Thank you, thank you~" 

'Puppy' rolls his eyes, dropping down to sit by their meal and getting to work immediately. He rips of the injured, infected leg, tossing it aside with a faint scoff. "Come, don't let you meal run cold, Bloodsucker." 

Skull pouts a little, but he joins his friend anyway, pulling the doe's head into his arms and sinking his fangs gently into her neck. He's careful not to rip through the meat anymore. That's 'Puppy's way of doing things. Just like now.

It's... Admittedly, a little barbaric, watching his friend tear himself a deer leg with that much gusto.  
But 'Puppy' is a neat eater at least. The most he ever gets bloody is his hands and mouth. And then he just licks that skin clean anyway. Nothing is wasted with his friend.

Then, Skull just... Loses himself in his meal a little bit. Over the weeks in which they've hunted together, he'd acquired quite the thrist for blood. Not enough to savagely attack a human village, but... Well, he gets the appeal now. Kind of?  
His friend's voice is what pulls him back to reality, as it does so often these days. "Hey, what have you got on your neck there?" 

It's a rough awakening. A rush of shame washes over him and be immediately feels for his collar. It'd... slipped down some during the attack.  
And 'Puppy' had seen the marks...  
Skull's chuckle is... Hoarse at best. "U-um... That's... Um... It's... Fang-marks. S-signifies that I'm a Turned Vampire, not a Born one..." 

'Puppy' blinks at him a few times, before he shrugs and goes back to his meal. But the silence that settles now is awkward and uncomfortable. His Wolf friend doesn't tolerate it for long, but what he says surprises Skull nevertheless. "So you were turned. Cool. I don't.... See the issue." 

Maybe it's a cultural difference. Maybe Vampiers are simply the only ones so deeply obsessed with pure bloodlines and whatnot. "Its... Shameful, to be a Turned Vampire. These marks are a... sign of weakness and such things..." 

Now, 'Puppy' frowns, darker than Skull had ever seen before. "That's Bullshit. I'm a turned Werwolf too and I'm my pack's leader right now."

Skull is immediately grasped by a wild curiosity and he scoots closer, just a bit. This time, he's careful to lay his meal aside so it doesn't stain his clothes. 'Puppy' rarely speaks of his pack. It's just something that doesn't come up a lot. "You're Turned too? How'd... That happen? If I... May ask..." 

Cause Skull doesn't know. It could be a very sensitive topic. His friend surprises him once more, by sharing his story with a light voice and easy, calm demeanor. "My village was attacked by a Werewolf. I was the only one brave enough to fight it and it bit me. Here." 

'Puppy' pulls up his left sleeve, showing vicious, dark scarring along his upper arm. Skull finds himself enraptured with it. It looks goddamn _morbid_. "T-that looks... Vicious..."

His friend shrugs faintly, pulling his sleeve back down and picking at the bones of the leg he'd eaten clean. He averts his eyes and his ears go down a little. He's sad and Skull can't fix it... "My village was fine with it. They appreciated me and... Wanted me around. It's just.... The church disagreed." 

His friend looks bloodthirsty then, furious. "Those bastards burned down my home and threatened to burn anyone that'd house me at the stake. They wanted to smoke me out." 

Tears gather in Skull's eyes, but he feels more fury than sorrow. Once upon a time, what feels like forever ago now, he'd followed the church. He would've been amongst those that'd so hurt his friend... "That's horrible..."

'Puppy' sighs faintly, waving a hand in the air briefly. A few droplets of blood land on his shirt, but that kind of thing never bothered him. "I packed what was left of my things and left during nighttime. From what I last heard, my village was overrun by bloodthirsty wolves a month after I'd left and the church was left desolate." 

Skull frowns darkly, looking down at their kill and feeling slightly nauseous. "The townspeople... What happened with them?"

His friend manages a tiny smile and Skull likes that on him much better than his bloodlust. Although, they are equally attractive. "A few of them were turned during the attack. Those ones managed to protect the rest and get them to safety." 

Skull exhales heavily with relief, feeling a little warm inside. Thank God whatever town that was wasn't completely wiped out.... They sounded like good people. Losing them in this world would've been a shame.  
'Puppy' isn't done with his story yet, though. And now, he's actually smiling brightly. "I actually only know this cause I've met up with a few of the Town's people while wandering. A few of them even ended up joining my pack." 

Skull can't help the chuckle that rumbles out. "That's a very... Weird coincidence, if you ask me." 

'Puppy' simply rolls his eyes, huffing lowly. There is something fond in him and Skull desperately wants to meet his family. But... That wouldn't do anyone any good. At least, like this he can admire the gentle exasperation on his friend's face when he speaks of his family. "Well, actually, they told me they found me again cause I smelled like home. Was very weird indeed..."

Skull joins him in his light laughter, giggling softly into his hand. "That's... That's adorable, what the hell..." 

'Puppy' blushes faintly, pouting immediately. "Shut it. Now... Wanna tell me how you got turned? Or is it a bad topic?" 

Skull swallows heavily enough that he ends up choking for a second, flustering darkly, from the fresh blood in his system. "Uh... It's... A bad topic. I don't... Like thinking about it, honestly." 

And... 'Puppy' simply shrugs, going back to their meal then. "Up to you. Are you gonna finish eating that, or can I take the rest back to my pack?" 

Skull manages a little chuckle, but the topics they'd discussed left him feeling a little queasy. And he's already eaten his fill anyway. "Nah, you can keep this one..." 

~~Another few weeks later~~

Lal caught the scent of Werewolves on him. Not only was Skull beaten bloody by Reborn and Colonello, he'd also been locked in his room for the majority of the week. And Verde, the sadistic bastard, even took out his curtains, just to 'harden him up against sunlight a bit'.

**Goddamn bastards, the lot of them.**

Not even Fon's hesitant attempts to strike up conversation through the door, or Mammon's occasional visits, were enough to lift his mood.

Especially since, night after night, the howling sounds more and more distant. It rips at what's left of his undead soul, little by little, every single time. Skull has even started to add his own cries to the nightly chorus, just to do something with these intense emotions.  
Even Reborn and Colonello have started to become concerned. Although at this point, Skull was keeping them locked out, instead of them keeping him locked in. 

Night after night, he'd sit by his window, desperately hoping for the howling to draw nearer, only to then be disappointed when it sounds yet further away than it did the night before. And he'd bury his face in his hands, crying and screaming his anguish into the night. 

He had one friend. One. Single. Friend. In all his time on this dark, cursed earth. And the vile people he is to serve have torn them apart. 

Verde reattached the curtains, but Skull pulls them back each night, empty hope burning in his chest and tears stinging his eyes. 

Fon offered him cups of the finest blood, but Skull pushes them aside, leaving them to be found, untouched, long past sunrise. 

Mammon had long given up on talking to him, they've made a habit of having nightly screaming matches with Reborn however. Skull quite simply closes his door when they start screaming. He needs the quiet to listen afterall. 

Luce had even woken, visiting him with beautiful, juicy fruit and, in her arms, Skull allowed himself to cry and rage. But come evening, he'd be back by the window, harried and distraught. 

As a last ditch effort, seemingly, Lal drags in Reborn and Colonello one night, pushing them to stand before her and growling low words at them.  
Skull isn't really paying them any mind. If they wanna beat him again, fine. He hasn't heard the howling yet tonight and his entire focus is on listening for it. 

Then Reborn seems to give into Lal's demands, stepping forward and speaking up. "Lackey-" 

Lal and Colonello both, simultaneously, ram their elbows into Reborn's sides, muting whatever sentence he'd started. Reborn just growls faintly, clearing his throat, his voice strained now. "Skull. Listen. I'm... Sorry. Can you please just snap out of it?" 

Skull waves a hand faintly at them, dismissing them and pushing forward, desperate to hear everything more clearly. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Shut up." 

Reborn starts forward, aggressively, and Colonello and Lal desperately pull him back. They can't overpower their head Vampire however. Skull is pulled back from the window, dragged into the air and turned around to face Reborn's outraged growl. "Listen here you worthless maggot. Whatever mutt you befriended has long since moved on. Who in their right mind would want to be friends with some weak excuse for a Vampire?!" 

Skull.... Hangs limply in his hold, looking at his Master, the Vampire who'd taken everything from him, the man who'd turned him into said weak excuse for a Vampire. He simply sighs, softly. There is no energy left in him, not even to get mad. "If you wanna beat me, hurry it up already. I wanna get back to listening."

Reborn looks genuinely caught of guard, but Skull can't even bring up the energy to feel smug about that. Reborn slowly let's him go, standing frozen, so Skull leaves him there, turning around to look back out the window, straining to hear over Reborn's whispered, confusion. "I-I didn't... This wasn't what I... Wait..." 

Lal leads Reborn out the room then, seemingly... Comforting him? Whatever.  
Colonello is the only one left in the room. The one directly above Skull, in terms of blood purity. Colonello was Turned, much like him. The difference was that he wanted to be with his beloved Lal forevermore. Skull hadn't been given a choice. 

Collonello sounds unsure, but... Gentle. He's trying to be kind, maybe. "Skull. How's about... Going outside tonight. We could hunt, kora... Together, as... As a team, you know?" 

Skull sighs faintly, straightening up and looking down into the garden. The pigsty is a mess. The garden is overrun with weeds. Someone should really clean that up. Poor pig's... Poor plants... 

He turns around, frowning faintly at Colonello. The older Vampire has no right to look so hopeful. He takes a little bit of joy is breaking that hope to tiny, tiny pieces. "I'm going out. Alone. The garden needs.... Doing and the pigsty needs... Cleaning."

Colonello is standing frozen, shocked perhaps, but Skull has no patience left to be polite. "Don't get in my way. Please." 

Skull walks around the other then, wandering out of his room, past Reborn and Lal, that stare at him and whisper heatedly to each other.

He walks further down the hall, ignoring Fon's saddening attempt at a cheerful greeting.

He wanders slowly down the spiraling staircase, sighing faintly when Verde pauses, staring at him with wide eyes, before rushing past him, already whisper shouting. 

Skull simply walks up to the door, sparing a glance at Mammon, who seems to be trying desperately to pull Luce out of one of her deeper trances.  
Nobody is in the way of him and the door. Nothing is stopping him.

....

The door handle is heavy. Was it always that heavy? 

The air is... Crisp. It's a shock to his system, in a way. But a welcomed one. He inhales the chilled air deeply, sighing it out softly, then he wanders over to the pigsty. He makes quick work of the filthy hay, patting some of the pig's, giving them plenty of trash to chow down on then. 

Next, his feet take him to the garden, over the stony path that, just some weeks ago, barely even three months, he'd almost cracked his head open on. He pulls out the weeds, working methodically and...  
There's still a lot of time left before sunrise. 

There is no moon out today. A new moon. But the stars glow bright as ever. He walks into the forest, never once looking back. If he did, perhaps Skull might've decided to stay.  
Yes, he was wounded by them, but at their cores, the Vampires that essentially raised him for his entire undead life, had wanted good things for him. It just so happens that friendship, joy and health aren't things that they'd been able to give him... 

(They'd offered strength, fame and maybe, somewhere down the line, Family.  
_Skull wanted none of it._ ) 

He doesn't know how long he's wandered, but somewhere down the path, his nose catches the scent of decay. He follows his sense, almost blindly, but much calmer than he used to. Heartbreak seems to truly slow the world down. 

He reaches a clearing, empty, aside from a single, prone form that lies at the center of it all. The familiar, pale brown fur sends a shock through his system and, before he even registers it, he lurches to his knees beside the corpse.  
Gunshot wounds riddle the beautiful fur coat, stuffed with tied, bundled pieces of wolf bane. 

Skul fists his hands into the thick, soft fur, shaking the corpse desperately and tearing up once more. "Nononono- **NO!** " 

_**No.** _

His words break of into a garbled mess, swallowed up by anguished sobs that leave his throat absolutely raw. The only word he can get out semi clearly, sounds much like a prayer. "P-puppy...."

_**This is unfair.** _

His tears fall, in dark red rivulets over his cheeks, soaking into the dirtied fur he's buried his fingers in. 

_**This can't be the end!** _

The beautiful, grey blue eyes are glassy and unseeing. It chases a fucking chill down his back. 

**HE REFUSES TO ACCEPT THIS AS THE END!**

Skull bends forward, burying his face in the soft fur and crying his anguish out into the dark night. It echoes back to him and in that moment, something, somewhere inside him, snaps.  
And then, it's a chain reaction. Something snaps and flings backwards, shattering something else, which falls and punctures through his heart and soul. 

Skull **screams**. 

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(This is the Sad/Bad/Angsty Ending.  
If you want a Happy Ending, continue reading~!) 

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He is consumed in his grief. Is left completely unaware of his surroundings.  
Skull doesn't see the glow of the earth, that lifts to soothe his Agony.  
He doesn't bear witness to the shaking trees, or the curling grasses, that join him in his turmoil.  
Most of all, Skull doesn't notice, when, from within him, from within his very soul, a bright light shines, illuminating the entire clearing. 

Skull doesn't realize it yet, but this Agony is what pushes his Will past all restraint, past even the seals Reborn had put on him, to be cautious.  
It's what let's his power, the force of his soul, flow freely into and through his surroundings, bringing with it strength and life that can never be found in nature. 

This force, is what wilts the tied bundles of wolfsbane, turns them into less than dust.  
It is what slowly, but surely, melts and sews torn flesh back into place.  
It's what breathes life and back into a mortal body.  
It is what drags said mortal's very Soul back from the great unknown, the endless beyond. 

Skull doesn't realize any of this yet, but he notices when warmth returns into the cold form he's been clutching close. When, gradually, the stiff muscles, begin to loosen, begin to twitch in aborted almost movements.  
He most definitely notices when his darling Puppy, his dearest friend, manages a low, pained groan.

Skull releases his friend, thoroughly stunned, but... Something bubbles, at the core of him. Warmth and, slowly, joy. Immeasurable relief. Confusion, too, but that is secondary to the purest happiness Skull ever did feel. 

'Puppy' slumbs over during his transformation, taking a moment still to orient himself after he'd turned to his human form. He blinks at Skull faintly, his eyes half lidden, but miles more alive than they were just moments before. "B... Bloodsucker?" 

Skull can't help himself. He throws his arms around his friend, burying his face in his chest and wailing out his joy and relief. "Puppy-! Puppy you're here-!" 

Evidently, his friend is confused with the unusual amount of affection. He takes it in stride, at least. "Uh-Um-Y-yeah..? I'm here? Where else would I be..?" 

~~~Wolf POV~~~

The vampire is gasping through his tears, choking slightly and, in this silence, Kyoya perks up. Faintly, very distantly now, but still barely perceptible, there is the howling of his pack. A grieving howl, carrying something pained.

Loss. 

He jumps to his feet, feeling genuine distress and looking in the direction he'd heard the call from. "Wait- Who died? What? It's..." 

The song continues, telling a brief tale of their leader, whomst has taken down hoards of enemies, yet was slain by the very hunters that had first driven the wolves into their town long past. 

It's a mournful song.... For him? But he's here. Very alive and very confused.  
The Bloodsucker chokes on his tears, laughing through his gross sobbing, before looking up at him with a wobbly smile. "You should answer them. They must be worried sick." 

Kyoya will answer them. The moment he finds a hill to throw his song off of. "This isn't-I'm not high up enough- What even happened?!" 

Bloodsucker stumbles to his feet, coughing faintly, before wrapping him in another hug and Kyoya just barely indulges him. He sounds heartbroken, geez... "Its... It's been weeks. I- I found you here and you... You were dead, man... Killed by hunters I think. I... I can't even..." 

_What. The **Fuck!?**_

Kyoya has to take a few breaths to calm down, trying to sort through all kinds of jumbled memories, but all he finds are vague sensations and a foreboding feeling of finality.  
He quickly comes to the conclusion that Bloodsucker has to be telling the truth. 

Huh. 

_Damn._

I mean, he's had close brushes with death before, but this one really takes the cake. Admittedly, he's feeling a little shaky with everything that's going on. "... Hey. Hey, Bloodsucker. Can you get me somewhere high up? I wanna... I need to tell them I'm fine." 

And Bloodsucker is a good friend. He's obviously feeling shaky and... Is just about starved to Death's doorstep himself, but he nods eagerly anyway. "Y-yeah. We can go to my home. It's got lotsa towers and stuffs..."

Kyoya nods faintly, lightly struggling out of his friend's grasp. "Okay. Which way is your home-"

And that when Bloodsucker collapses. Was it the starvation? The shock? The countless, sleepless days and nights? Whatever it was, it's the cherry on top of an awfully distressing situation. Kyoya himself is still wobbly on his feet at best, so he can't exactly hold up the body of his friend.

He can make sure to lower both of them slowly however, resting Bloodsucker on the grass gently and bushing a hand through his hair lightly. Poor guy must've run himself ragged with worry... 

Much like his herbivores would. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck- what the hell is he supposed to do now?!  
Um-Maybe they'll hear him anyways? Hopefully? 

He turns into his wolf form, tracing a quick circle, before sitting down and howling with all the Might he can muster. It echoes of the trees and... Doesn't carry very far. Even the highest note he can manage, barely even reaches that weird, abandoned castle that used to be near here. 

Now imagine his surprise when, a moment after his howls drift to silence, six figures fall out of the sky, _out of fucking nowhere_. Sure, he could run, retreat for a bit, come back when he's regained his strength, but Bloodsucker is unconscious. Fucking defenseless. 

Really, it's not all that wise, but he has the distinct feeling he owes this Vampire his life. So he stands over him, pulling his lips back, growling savagely at the approaching shadows.  
Said shadows do pause, for a moment, before a low, baritone, very pleasant voice speaks. "You must be... Skull's little... Werewolf... Friend..."

Kyoya straightens up at that, turning back to his human form fluently and narrowing his eyes at the obviously worried/concerned Vampires. He stays bend over Bloodsucker, if anything, shielding him with his body as best he can. "Are you his Masters? He never spoke kindly of you."

One of the Vampires, the one that radiates the most power and also smells the oldest, steps forward. He looks sorrowful, pained when he looks down at Kyoya's friend. "We've made some... fatal mistakes. We've done wrong by him. Our only hope is that we have time to correct ourselves."

Kyoya looks down at his friend, for a split second, then he looks back up at the entourage of Vampires. They haven't moved, which is a good sign. "He's starved. Get a rabbit from the clearing near here. He likes their blood in particular." 

The eldest Vampire turns to one of his mates, a Vampire that bears startling resemblance to Kyoya, but that's something to worry about later.  
This Vampire also radiates strength, less than the eldest, but given the fact that he barely takes a few second to reappear with a fresh kill in his hand...

Well, Kyoya wasn't gonna actively _try_ to get on their bad side. No promises he won't end up there anyways. "Give that to me. Or can any of you feed him mouth to mouth?" 

The oldest crouches down then, taking the rabbit from the other Vampire and sinking his fangs into it harshly. It shrivels up within moments, completely sucked dry and...  
Yeah, maybe Kyoya was going to try _a little_ not to get on this specific guy's bad side. 

At the very least, for now, he seems to have good intentions. He is very gently when he pulls Bloodsucker up a little, resting one hand lightly on the nape of his neck.  
Using his other hand, he lightly pulls Bloodsucker's chin down, leaning close and connecting their lips calmly then. It's morbid, watching from this close, how the exchange of blood happens. 

But Bloodsucker is at least swallowing it down, already, some colour returning to his pale, pale cheeks. Then, Bloodsucker moves, shoving a hand up and over the face of the oldest Vampire, shoving him back whilst his face burns dark red. " **Eeeeeeeeeeh-?!** " 

The noise he makes is shrill enough to not just offend Kyoya's ears. Yet... Oddly enough, the oldest Vampire merely gives Bloodsucker a small, rueful smile. Love works in weird ways, doesn't it? "Good evening, sleeping beauty."

Bloodsucker goes an even darker shade of red, flailing his arms at the oldest Vampire, before shooting upright in alarm. "Wait, Puppy needs to get on a tower-" 

Then he promptly bends over and dry heaves, alarming not just Kyoya, but everyone else, including the oldest Vampire, who promptly scoops Bloodsucker up into his arms and stands straight. The look he gives Kyoya could be seen as dismissive and disgustsd, but Kyoya knows better. He'd just watch this man suck his crush's face and now he's embarrassed. Laughable, really. "You need to get on a tower, 'Puppy'?" 

And yeah, you remember how Kyoya was gonna _try_ not to get on this guy's bad side? Scratch that, the guy deserves the full force of Kyoya's kick into the backs of his knees. Also, just watching the guy fold down and flop over is very... Amusing.  
Bloodsucker seems to agree, promptly dissolving into laughter, even trapped underneath the other Vampire's weight as he is. "Hell yeah, Puppy, down with this bastard, eh~?" 

Kyoya rolls his eyes, giving his friend a little smile. "We need to get going though. Tower, remember?" 

Bloodsucker nods, shoving the other Vampire aside rather roughly and hopping to his feet. He grabs Kyoya's hand, pulling him close and giving their audience an exaggerated bow and a grin. "See you all later-!" 

Then, Bloodsucker fucking _bursts into smoke_. Or Mist? Whatever it is, it's got a solid grasp on Kyoya and is pulling him sky high and along for one hell of a wild ride. At the very least, like this, they reach their destination extremely quickly. 

~~~Vampire POV~~~

Okay. Okay, he can do the Mist thing now. Cool. Okay. _What the everloving fuck._  
But okay. He sets Puppy down gently, forming his body again and frantically checking all over that all his pieces are still there. And... They are. Relief doesn't quite describe what he feels. And he wants to tell his friend all about it.  
It's just... The howling sounds just a tad closer now. Just barely. 

Puppy jumps into action immediately, turning into his wolf form instantly and howling his reply desperately. It's a long, low, reverberating sound. A moment passes, then a reply sounds, distant, but much clearer now, as though directed towards them specifically.  
Skull doesn't understand a single word of what's exchanged. He plops down to the ground anyways, smiling softly as he friend bursts into a joyful, joined chorus with his distant Family. 

Truly, what breathtaking, Lupine Melodies....

~~~~~~~

This howl sounds sharper, a bursting high pitch, followed by a lingering lower pitch. Puppy chuckles softly. "They wanna know your name. And... Kinda, so do I."

Skull giggles softly, thudding his head against Puppy's shoulder, before pulling back, giving his friend the space to transform into his wolf form yet again. Intelligent, familiar eyes look up at him, expectantly. Skull winks at his friend, speaking softly to him. "My name is Skull de Mort. What's that sound like in Wolf?"

Puppy taps one foot on the roof, claiming his attention, before howling away, a low, lingering pitch, followed by two, high pitches, almost burst like, but each of them just a moment too long to really pop. It gorgeous.  
Then, his friend is already humanoid again, dangling his feet off of the roof and listening quietly to the answering howls.

He quirks a little smile. "They think it's a pretty name. I'd say it's pretty cliche, for a Bloodsucker."

Skull purses his lips, pouting for all of a second, before he scoots closer to his friend and nuzzles into his shoulder. "By the way, what's your name?"

Puppy chuckles faintly, lightly snuggling into his hair, amusement in his voice as well. "We've got all kinds of stuff backwards, haven't we? My name is Kyoya. Hibari Kyoya."

Skull sighs faintly, listening to the distant howling. "Kyoya's a stupid name, for a Puppy like you. I'd call you Claw. Or Fang. Would suit you much better."

"I swear to the God that's forsaken you, I will push you of this damn roof. Stupid Bloodsucker..."

"Love you too, idiotic Puppy."

**Author's Note:**

> As you can see, I am versatile with my Cloudy Boys. They be best buds in this fanfic, not brothers.
> 
> Comments and kudos are deeply appreciated! What did you think of this?


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